Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => COVID-19 => Topic started by: EvaH on 01/10/2020 16:22:57

Title: Could one antibody cope with a variety of diseases?
Post by: EvaH on 01/10/2020 16:22:57

Pauls asks:

Is there a maximum number of antibodies that folk can carry for different diseases, and could one antibody be designed to cope with a variety of diseases?

What do you think?

Title: Re: Could one antibody cope with a variety of diseases?
Post by: evan_au on 14/10/2020 09:25:51

Quote from: OP

could one antibody be designed to cope with a variety of diseases?

The problem is that antibodies are pretty specific to particular parts of particular proteins. Different types of virus have very different surface proteins, so it is highly unlikely that a single antibody would react to different types of virus.

Some flu vaccine researchers are trying to develop vaccines that would protect against many different strains of flu virus.
- Different flu strains have similar proteins in their coat
- Such a vaccine has not yet made it to market.